Funeral custom - what is it called?

[ghm]

I was wondering if someone could help me with the Chinese name for the following custom: A week or so after a funeral, the bereaved family invites friends and colleagues who have attended the funeral and/or contributed money. People here call this "li jie". However, I would like to know the characters for it. Having it heard from Sichuan people, it could also be "ni jie" or maybe just "ji" instead of "jie". Anyone knows the characters? Thanks!

[laohuaqiao]

I have not heard of a name for that custom either. Here we do this right after the burial or funeral service.

The word 祭 ji has a meaning of a memorial or ritual for the deceased， so it could be one of the words you are looking for.

[laohuaqiao]

In Guangdong, the meal right after a funeral is called jie hui 解秽/解穢 (to remove the bad) or jie hui jiu 解秽酒/解穢酒 (a feast to remove the bad). In Cantonese,jiu 酒 also has a meaning of a feast or banquet. The meal signal the beginning of mourning period for family members. Usually, it's a 7 course vegetarian meal and a sweet soup. Unlike a typical meal, the sweet soup is served first instead of last, indicating reversing the bad fortune that brought about the death.

In the past family mourning period could last as long as 3 years. At the end of the mourning period, mourning clothes are removed in a ritual called 应红／應紅， meaning reception of red (fortune). Friends and relatives are invited to a feast called 应红／應紅饭, which in Cantonese, because of similar sound, turned into yinghong fan 英雄饭 (yingxiong fan in mandarin). It's a meal of 8 (lucky number) dishes, first of which is a serving of roast pig (probably due to the red crusty skin of a roast pig), followed by chicken, fish, Buddhist delight dish, etc.

In modern times, with people's busy working schedules, mourning ends immediately or soon after the funeral. There may be only one meal, it is called 解秽酒/解穢酒, where in fact it should be called 英雄饭 because it's the end of the mourning period.

[lachinatown]

Laohuaqiao, can you explain what is written on the white ribbons on funeral wreaths. Could be helpful for those who are not familiar with practice.